Effective Use of Branding and Recruitment Technology, Key to Hiring Millennials with Disabilities

Effective Use of Branding and Recruitment Technology, Key to Hiring Millennials with Disabilities

Getting Hired Team

Millennials are among the most active generations in the recruitment market today, with this group keen to make an impact in their chosen career and not afraid to go after what they want, even if this means moving from job to job.

So, when it comes to attracting the best and brightest of this highly mobile generation, what tools can make the difference for employers who want to attract and retain top millennial talent?

Well, in today's fast-paced world of work, technology is key. With the millennial generation having grown up in the age of smartphones and the internet, they are a savvy bunch when it comes to making use of the latest tech. In a candidate driven labor market, employers are upping their game in attracting and engaging today’s entrepreneurial workforce. To stand out from the pack and attract the very best talent, employers are diversifying their recruitment methods through creative and innovative ways.

The Use of Recruiting Technology in 2017

Research published by NACE in its latest Recruiting Benchmarks Survey showed that the use of video interviewing rose by 25 per cent last year and is forecast to continue this year.In 2006, just 7 percent of employer respondents used video interviewing as a college recruiting tool. This steadily grew to 32 percent by 2015, before spiking at 55 percent in 2016.

In today's world, there is a far greater need to create a personal link to the individual.Though on-campus interviewing remains a popular and effective method for employers in recruiting new graduates (nearly 60 percent of new college hires came from on-campus interviewing), its use has been on a steady decline. New tech alternatives, such as digital ads, social media, video interviewing and online career fairs, provide more cost effective, time efficient means, able to reach far more of the global talent pool.

However, there are always drawbacks to overreliance on technology. You don’t want to miss out on great talent that’s not as tech savvy, but may offer a wealth of other types of knowledge and skills, such as some Baby Boomers, and some individuals with disabilities. Diversifying your recruitment methods should also help you to diversify your candidate pool, rather than focusing on only one type. The strongest workforce has a spectrum of perspectives, knowledge, skills and experience to draw from, in order to create the best customer experiences, whatever the company’s product or service.

The Limits of Relying on Technology

Digital accessibility refers to the ability of a website, mobile application or electronic document to be easily navigated and understood by a wide range of users, including those users who have visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities. Factoring in digital accessibility is more important now than ever to ensure you’re not excluding some populations of your talent pool. Simple measures can help prevent this, just by considering solutions to potential accessibility barriers in advance. For example, finding out if the technology you’re employing is accessible for those with visual impairments using screen readers, such as an online career fair forum; or considering the effectiveness of video interviewing for deaf candidates.

There are ways around these types of barriers, if you ask. If a candidate has disclosed their disability to you in advance, ask them if they require an accommodation, and what usually works best for them. Find out who is responsible for accommodation requests in your company and consult with them on potential accessibility issues and solutions when using any technology. There are also plenty of community organizations and online resources who provide free, simple, straightforward guidance, such as The Job Accommodation Network (JAN),AskEARN and the ADA National Network.

Millennial Friendly Messaging

Many employers also fall short in appealing to millennial's, through the use of corporate sounding marketing, which often comes across as inauthentic to the new workforce and can sound similar to many other employers. Organizations should now see their recruitment efforts as being a year-round process, rather than simply a two-month drive when all the action takes place. Millennial's are reported to be the most socially conscientious generation, and as well as good work life balance, finding value and purpose in work is of much higher significance than previous generations. Relying on salary as the only incentive, will rarely attract the best and the brightest talent.

Companies should shape their messaging around the specific value the position brings to the overall success of the company, and its greater impact on its mission, as well as the career advancement opportunities available. The social responsibility and community outreach piece can also be very appealing.

· How is the company giving back to the community?

· What volunteering or charitable cause does it contribute to?

· What initiatives or programs are bringing employees together?

· How are current employees being supported and invested in?

Being transparent about the company culture and how it conducts its business all year round can be a major deciding factor for potential employees.

Finally, providing access to the latest technologies and thoughtfully making use of these tools to enhance the connectivity and capabilities of your workforce will go a long way towards convincing millennial candidates that their talents and passions will be valued when working for your firm.